Most students who have little to no prior exposure in computer programming start with our Programming Fundamentals. Here students build simple applications and games as they pick up the basics.

Students then go into Intermediate Level Programming where they build slightly complex games and applications including individual and team projects.

They can then diversify into advanced level programming, HTML and website development, mobile app development, robotics and simple hardware concepts and configurations

How do you teach computer programming to young kids

We actually do not 'teach' but 'coach'. If you survey the market for providers offering programming courses, you will find that most of them focus on 'coding skills' pretty heavily and they are are usually delivered as a set of visual or verbal instructions in helping students write specific code in a specified way to build games or applications.

We also help develop their coding skills but have a far greater focus on 'thinking skills' and to think and solve problems in a coding environment. Here's what we mean by that...

Learning specific coding skills or a language tends to be very limiting. It boxes students into that particular technology. Our unique methodology stimulates the 'logical and sequential' thinking in students, thereby building their aptitude to pick up any other language or package in the future.

Our curriculum is not narrowly instructive, in other words we do not tell students to write code in specific ways. Instead we challenge their thinking to get creative in figuring out multiple diverse ways of solving an objective with code.

Another way to describe our program is a strong focus on the 'WHY' in addition to the 'HOW' and the 'WHAT'

There are four key areas where we are unique in comparison to all our competitors:

1) Curriculum focused on problem solving and application of concepts

2) Best in class teachers who create a very passionate classroom environment. Our teachers are some of the best in the Charlotte School district.

3) Strong classroom focus. In our classroom, teachers encourage alternative ways of approaching the same problem. Each student brings their individual perspective and as a result they learn from each other as much as the teacher

4) Stress on thinking rather than repetition. We do not believe in having students go through numerous math problems and learn through repetition. Instead we focus on expanding their thinking abilities.

How is your approach to Mathematics different from other programs in the market

My child is a 4th grader, will he be learning 6th grade Math

Khan Academy is a great online offering with very easy to understand tutorials for all levels of learning. However it still is a 'one way instruction' based approach with assignments intended to provide ample self practice opportunities for students. Thinking Feet's methodology focuses heavily on classroom interaction in enabling students to observe and absorb different ways of solving the same problem that allows them to not only learn from the teacher but from each other, thereby expanding their thinking abilities much more significantly. This opportunity for a student to observe and learn from the diversity of thought presented by each student in the class is unique in our program. No one-on-one program (online or private) can provide this today.

We do not give a ton of Math homework....but we do give some. Our homework usually ranges from 3 - 5 questions to be attempted during the week. These questions do stretch their thinking.

We believe that the life of an elementary or middle schooler should not be crammed with homework. This is their time to play and learn.

Do you give a lot of homework in Mathematics

We are proud to have selectively hired some of the best teachers from the Charlotte School District. Your child is indeed fortunate to be in their regular classroom.

However, the primary reason why these teachers have joined Thinking Feet is that the school curriculum restricts their ability to stretch the problem solving aptitude and thinking ability of students to the degree they want to and in the manner they want to.

Thinking Feet provides the platform and the curriculum for our teachers to have a great deal of flexibility to coach students and develop their problem solving aptitude to a much greater degree than they are able to within school curriculum boundaries

In school, my child is currently in the class of one of your teachers. Will your program have any benefit for them in this situation?

At Thinking Feet, our focus is more on conceptual understanding and application of Mathematics concepts to solve problems at grade level....sometimes going to higher grade levels. We do not believe in cramming young minds, instead we focus on building learning aptitudes and creativity in problem solving. We believe that in the long term, the ability to deconstruct problems and figuring out creative solutions has a much deeper and positive impact on students' development.